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Old 03-10-2008, 12:09 PM   #19
Aikibu
Dojo: West Wind Dojo Santa Monica California
Location: Malibu, California
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,295
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Re: Aikido is useless without atemi...

Aikido is useless without Atemi true...and like some of the folks who have posted here I practice Shoji Nishio's version of Aikido which is quite simply as he put it (paraphrasing) "Aikido executed to the rythem and flow of Atemi." Having shopped around a bit before choosing Shoji Nishio's expression ( and being blessed with having two of his U.S. Senior Yudansha living in the SoCal area.) of Aikido and coming from a background in both Judo and Karate as he did I was appalled at how many Aikidoka in other styles were unaware that folks actually try to hit and kick you and how open to counter punching and takedowns they were...and So...

Folks view of Atemi seems to be a bit myopic...There are two important sides to this coin as Nishio Shihan understood it...Hitting and being Hit...

If you don't practice Atemi you are setting yourself up to getting your clock cleaned...If you don't "see" where Atemi is applied then you are half blind to where your Uke may see openings in your own technique...

Like Stenudd Sensei said it's not neccessary to use it and Nishio Shihan usually only demonstrated both how open Uke was to Atemi and how our footwork and movement protected Nage from Uke and counterstrikes in his semniars...but then also as Stenudd Sensei mentioned Nishio Shihan's "internal power" was such that he did not have to actually hit you in order for Uke to feel his Atemi..and that is what he meant by the rythem and flow of Atemi and where he wished his students to go with it.

That being said In my experiance use it or lose it.Atemi is a perishable skillset. If you don't spend some time practicing Atemi then over time this "skillfull means" will diminish and you will dumb down your practice to the point you are just dancing with a partner and wide open to harm.

In Nishio Shihan's view Aikido must be a Martial Art first in practice in order to truely benefit anyone and open them up to Aikido's potential

Atemi is one of the cornerstones of our practice and my suggestion would be to spend some serious time practicing it in your expression of Aikido.

WIlliam Hazen

Last edited by Aikibu : 03-10-2008 at 12:16 PM.
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